The Yule Ball
by PersonWhoWritesStuff
Summary: If Ron had been thinking...  Basically if i had written the yule ball part, based around Ron and Hermione.
1. Chapter 1

This was a story on my old account, but I decided to move all those stories to this account.

* * *

Harry and Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room. Earlier that day, the announcement about the Yule Ball had been made.

"So," Ron said blandly, "planning on asking anyone in particular?"

"I dunno. Haven't really thought about . . ." Harry replied just as blandly, "you?"

Ron looked around the common room, seemingly casually, but he was secretly making sure no one was around. They were the only two in there. "I think I might ask Hermione . . ." he said, as casually as he could.

Harry looked up at him, part surprised, part confused, and part curious, "why?"

Ron shrugged, not really knowing why himself, he just felt like it would be right, and perfect, if he did ask her. Then a thought occurred to him, "She'll pretty much have to say yes, anyway."

"You don't think anyone else will ask her?"

"No, I'm sure she'll get other invites, but she'll go with me if I ask first. She'd go with _Neville, _if he asked first."

"Wouldn't any girl just go with the first person that asked them . . ?"

Ron raised his eyebrows, "think about it, Harry, how many girls would be nice or honest enough to do that? If someone they didn't want to go with asked them first, they'd lie and say someone else asked them already, and do that until the best option came along. There are few girls that would actually just go with the first person that asked, and of those few, Hermione's the only pretty one."

Harry thought it over, "I suppose you're right . . ." then he raised his eyebrows at Ron, a smug knowing look on his face, "So . . . you think Hermione's pretty, eh?"

Ron's ears went red, "Yeah-well-so what! . . . I can say that; I'm her friend."

Then Harry said, with complete seriousness, "Ah, I see. And do you think **I'm **pretty?"

Ron looked at him, with the same amount of seriousness and answered, "Yeah, **you**, you're bloody gorgeous . . ."

They managed to maintain their serious faces for three whole seconds before they each burst out laughing. At that moment, Hermione walked in from the portrait hole.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

They both stopped laughing and composed themselves, and Harry looked at Hermione, once again very serious, and said, "Ron thinks I'm bloody gorgeous."

The three of them stared at each other without a word, then suddenly all burst into laughter at the same moment.

Finally, after a while, the laughter died down to them clutching their stomachs, panting, with the occasional left over giggle.

As Harry looked from Ron to Hermione, an thought came to him, and he suddenly felt it would be best to leave the room. "I just remembered there's something upstairs I need to get . . ." and with that, he was gone before the other two could ask "what," hoping Ron would get the hint, and use this opportunity to ask Hermione now, since they were alone.

After a moment of silence, Hermione asked, "So . . . what was that 'bloody gorgeous' thing about?"

Ron just shook his head and smiled, "nothing . . ." then, remembering what he was talking about before Hermione came in, and realizing there was probably nothing Harry needed upstairs, he decided to ask Hermione now. It would be better if there were no witnesses if she actually did say no.

Attempting to sound casual, he asked, "So . . . you have plans for the Yule Ball?"

Hermione shrugged, "Well it was just announced today . . . so, not really."

"Oh," Ron replied lamely, "Well-"

At that moment, Dean and Seamus came down from the boy's dormitory, discussing some sport called football.

In the short moment that Ron was distracted by them, Seamus opened his mouth, "Oi, Hermione, Wanna go to the ball with me?"

"Oh!" Hermione said, taken off guard, "Um, sure. Yeah."

"Okay. Great. See ya' later, then." And Seamus and Dean walked out of the portrait hole.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Hermione said, turning back to him, "What were you saying?"

"Oh, just that I was Hungry. Harry and I haven't had dinner yet, but I'll just go down without him . . . " and he was gone before Hermione could respond.

* * *

hope you liked, please review


	2. Chapter 2

After about 15 minutes, Harry came down from the dormitories. He was surprised to find Hermione alone, "Where's Ron?"

Hermione looked up, "oh, he went down to dinner."

"Oh." Harry replied, confused, and went over and sat next to Hermione.

"But," she continued, "You'll never guess who just asked me to the ball."

Harry half-smiled, "I think I might know . . ."

"Why? Did Seamus tell you?'

Harry looked at her, a confused look on his face, "Seamus . . ?"

"Yeah. He just asked me."

"Oh," Harry said, as he wondered what exactly happened while he was upstairs. Did Ron even **try** to ask?

**Meanwhile in the Bat Cave-Uh, Er-*cough cough*-Great Hall:**

When Ron got down to dinner, he spotted Seamus at the Gryffindor table, Dean right beside him. He strode up to them and sat on the other side of Seamus.

When he spoke, he attempted to sound casual, but it was a little off, "So, Seamus . . . going to the ball with Hermione, eh?"

Seamus looked at him innocently and shrugged, "Well I got the idea from, you, actually."

Ron furrowed his brow, "what?"

"I overheard what you said to Harry, about Hermione being desperate, and all that."

"I never said she was desperate!" he argued defensively, "besides, how could you've overheard it, there was no one in the room at the time . . . "

"Me and Dean were about to go down to dinner, but he forgot something in the room, so I waited on the stairs." Seamus explained, obviously not thinking much of what he overheard.

"Well if you heard all that, then you obviously heard that **I **was planning on asking her myself . . ?" Ron said with an irritated voice. He felt like he was explaining why not feeding a pet was bad, to a young child.

Seamus shrugged again, "Sorry, mate. I just figured . . . first come, first serve, you know?"

"'First come, first serve?' **I **was already **there, being **served! You cut in line!"

"Sorry, I didn't realize going with Hermione meant so much to you. What do you want me to do about it now, though? Call it off?"

"Yeah," Ron said, matter-of-factly, "I do want you to call it off."

Seamus shook his head, "I was serious-"

"Well I was!" Ron interjected.

He sighed, "Tell you what-I'll call it off . . . but," he smiled impishly, "only if you admit you fancy her."

Ron's ears turned slightly pink, "I do not. She's just my friend . . ."

"Well then, why do you care so much?"

Not having an answer to this, he said, very sarcastically, "Fine. I **fancy **her."

"See, with that tone of voice, you sound like you don't mean it."

When Ron opened his mouth to point out that he intended for it to sound like that, Seamus cut him off, "But! Because you're trying so hard to get me to call it off, I'll take that as a confession.

Rather than denying that he fancied Hermione again, he shut his mouth gratefully.

"The only problem is, what am I supposed to tell Hermione?"

"Tell her you don't want to go to the ball." Ron said immediately.

"But I do want to go. And she'd see me there."

Ron sighed, and thought some more, "How 'bout you tell her you just wanted to go as friends, but someone else asked to go, as a real date?"

"Okay . . . but-?"

"Just ask someone else and say they asked you, alright?"

Seamus rolled his eyes, "Whatever. If it doesn't work, though, I am **not **taking the blame."

The next day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all sitting in the common room, when Seamus walked up to them.

"Um, Hermione," he said with a slight glace at Ron, "when I asked you to the ball yesterday, I, er, meant just as friends . . . but today someone asked me to go with them, as a real date. You don't mind do you? I mean, you'll get plenty more invites, I'm sure." He glanced at Ron once more, and saw that his ears were turning red, and he was pointedly looking away.

Hermione shrugged sadly, "No, I suppose I don't mind," she gave a small smile, "Have fun."

He smiled apologetically, "Thanks. And I am sorry." Before he walked away, he glanced at Ron once more, and rolled his eyes.

Hermione turned to Ron when Seamus was out of hearing range, "What was that?"

"What was what?" he asked, not meeting her eyes.

"Never mind. Well that's a bummer." She sighed.

Harry gave her a sympathetic smile, "Anyone else you'd want to go with?" he asked, also now glancing at Ron.

Hermione shrugged, "I don't know. I didn't really **want **to go with Seamus, but going with him would've prevented me from having to find a real date."

"Well actually," Ron said, his face now beet-red, and his voice a bit shaky "I was thinking, maybe, we could go, you and me, you know, to the ball . . ?" he'd said it all so fast, he was afraid he'd have to repeat himself. He almost added, "as friends," but something kept him from doing so.

Hermione blushed slightly, and look at the floor thoughtfully, for, what felt like to Ron, hours, but was really just seconds. When she finally looked back up at him, she smiled and nodded, "yeah. That sounds fun."

"Great," Ron said, with a weird sensation in the pit of his stomach that made him feel taller than he already freakishly was. In a good way, of course.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days, Ron was in an abnormally good mood.

Even Hermione seemed to have a bounce in her step.

Harry was just happy that they hadn't bickered about anything once since Ron asked Hermione to the ball. In fact, they had been very kind to each other; almost to the point of making Harry wonder if they were actually going to start being a couple.

Harry wanted to ask Ron this question, but there were far too many other people in the common room.

Then, Hermione came down from the girls' dormitory, looking half confused, and half hurt.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, as Ron looked up.

"Do you remember what Seamus said?" Hermione asked, "He said someone had asked him to the ball, that he wanted to go on a real date with. But when I was just up in the dormitory, Lavender came in, giggling about how **Seamus **had just asked **her** to the ball . . ."

Suddenly, Ron's face went pale, and his ears turned red.

Harry looked uncomfortable, but tried to sound comforting, "Maybe there was a mistake . . ."

Hermione shook her head, "I don't know. On whose part would the mistake had to have been made?

Harry looked down, not knowing what to say to that.

Then Ron tried, "Maybe Lavender lied," he said, feeling slightly guilty, "because girls don't usually ask guys out, you know?"

"Maybe," Hermione said, but it was obvious by her face she didn't believe it at all, "But that seems like a stupid thing to lie about."

"Well . . . if Seamus lied to you, then he's a git," Ron said. He felt really guilty, calling Seamus a git, but thinking it over, he was kind of a git for asking Hermione to the ball, when he knew Ron was about to.

Harry looked at Ron, with a look as if he just realized something, but was unsure if it was true.

Ron looked back at him, hoping the look wasn't for what he thought it was for. But he just shrugged, as if he didn't know why Harry was looking at him.

"Thanks Ron," Hermione said, sadly, making them both looking back at her, "I just want to know, if Seamus did ask her, why didn't he ask her **first**?"

"Maybe, he really liked her, and was just nervous to ask her," Harry invented wildly, "but something between the time he asked you, and when he broke it off, gave him courage to ask her . . ."

Hermione smiled, "Yeah, maybe . . . I'm not really bothered that he called it off, or that he asked Lavender, I guess. It's just . . . a little rude. I mean, I'm not going to confront him about it-"

"Good, you really shouldn't," Ron interrupted.

"-and I've got a date anyway," she immediately blushed when she referred to Ron as a date.

Ron's cheeks went a bit pink too, but, for a reason he couldn't explain, he like being referred to as date, especially by Hermione.

"Just don't think anything of it, Hermione," Harry said, interrupting the short, but very awkward pause.

"Yeah," she agreed, "I'm just going to forget he even asked in the first place."

"That's a good idea," Ron said, nodding his head fervently.

Harry gave him that look again, which made him stop nodding immediately.

"Okay, well, I guess that's the only reason I came down here . . ." Hermione said, standing up, "I really do have a lot of studying to do, and, quite frankly, you two are a bit of a distraction . . . Actually, so is Lavender and Paravati . . . I'll go study in the library . . ." she turned from the stairs to the dormitories, to the portrait hole, and left.

Once she was out of the portrait hole, Harry turned to Ron with that look again.

"What?" Ron snapped.

"You said something to Seamus, didn't you?" Harry asked, suspiciously.

"Yeah, I may have said a few things to him in the past few years, we do, after all, sleep in the same room." He said, casually.

"You know what I mean," Harry said, impatiently, "You said something about Hermione! Something to make him not go to the ball with her!"

Ron didn't answer.

"You did! I knew it!" Harry said, victoriously, "What'd you say?"

"Nothing, alright! ?" he sighed, "I just asked him, politely, to call it off. I didn't, like, threaten him, or anything."

"But why?" Harry asked, "Why do you want to go to the ball that badly with Hermione?"

"Well, it's not like anybody else would go with me! Besides, Seamus overheard what I said about Hermione, and he knew I was going to ask her, and I was literally about to when he came in and asked her. It was very rude on his part." He said the last sentence with his nose in the air, like a rich snob talking about a homeless person they saw on the street.

Harry looked at Ron for several seconds before saying, "You fancy her."

Ron looked back at him, "What? I do not! Why do people keep thinking that I fancy Hermione! ?"

"Ha!" Harry said, "I didn't say Hermione! You came up with her all on your own!"

Ron rolled his eyes, "Oh, come on, Harry, it was pretty obvious who you were talking about."

Harry shrugged in defeat, "worth a shot," he muttered.

"Don't you have homework to do?" Ron asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. So do you."

"Right . . . after a round of wizard's chess, then?"

"Agreed."

**Meanwhile in the Bat Cave-Uh, I mean-**_Dude, you really need to stop that. _**I know, I'm sorry, I used to work for Batman . . . I was paid a lot more too. **_What was that? _**Nothing! **_I'm sorry, but I don't think it's working out. We are just going to go with the line from now on. You're fired. _**No! Please! I have three kids! **_Take it away, line!_

* * *

In, the library, Hermione was doing research for a potions project, her mind half on the book she was reading, and half on Seamus.

She didn't necessarily like Seamus, in that way. She wasn't even bothered that he had called off their "date" the day after he had asked her to the ball, though, this was mainly because Ron had asked her almost immediately afterward. She just really wanted to know why Seamus had lied to her.

Then she remembered how he had given Ron all those glances, and how Ron had practically followed Seamus when he first asked her. Then when Ron asked her to the ball, he had said, "I was thinking," when could he have been thinking that? Seamus had only canceled their plans moments before.

_No,_ she thought, _you're letting your imagination get ahead of you._

She immediately stopped thinking about either of them, and went back to her potions homework.

After a couple of hours of her thoughts on nothing but potions, she heard a cough.

When she looked up, she saw none other than Viktor Krum, famous quidditch star, sitting at the other end of the table she was at.

"Hello," he said when she looked up, in his thick Bulgarian accent.

She looked around, expecting him to have been talking to someone else. He smirked at this.

"Hi," she finally said, hesitantly.

"Vut is your name?" He asked her.

"Um, Hermione." She was not used to famous athletes randomly talking to her, in her personal sanctuary.

"My name is Viktor," he said, with a friendly smile.

"I know." She answered, and immediately felt stupid; a feeling she was not used to.

He nodded, "You are a quidditch fan?"

"My friends are," she answered, "I'm more of a fan of reading."

"Ah, I can tell," he said, looking at the pile of books in front of her.

"Yeah. And these are all just for potions."

"You come into the library often." It was a statement more than a question.

"Yes. You have been too, lately." She felt stupid once more, and prayed that she didn't sound like a stalker just then.

"Vut is your favorite book?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she answered, "Probably, _Hogwarts, A History._"

Viktor smirked again.

"What?" she asked, a little offended.

"That is a school book," he pointed out.

"I can like school books!"

"Sure," he said, skeptically, still smirking.

After a moment of silence, Hermione asked, "What's your favorite book?"

Viktor thought for moment, "_Quidditch Through the Ages_."

"Of course." She said, "That's my friend's favorite book too."

"Harry Potter?"

"Yeah," she said, feeling weird that someone she had never talked to before knew who her friends were.

"Sorry," he said, realizing that it was weird, "I've just seen you in the library with him."

"Oh," she smiled, "I guess I'm still not used to being friends with someone that everyone knows."

Viktor smiled too, "You seem very smart. Perhaps everyone vill know your name someday. For discovering the cure for spattergroit, or something."

Hermione blushed and giggled, something she never thought she would ever do.

Then he made a serious, but still kind, face, "I vos actually vondering," he said, "vould you like to go to the ball, as my date?"

"Um," she said, taken aback, but flattered, "Alright!" she answered enthusiastically.

"Great," Viktor said, "It'll be fun." Then he looked out the window, and saw it was getting dark out, "I should get back to the Durmstrang ship," he said, getting up, "I vill see you later, then."

Once Viktor was out of the library, Hermione smiled to herself. A famous quidditch star had just asked her to the Yule Ball, after all. She even knew someone who had a model action figure of him! Then she remembered who that person was: _Ron._

"Crap," she muttered to herself. How could she have forgotten Ron? She had felt so pleased after he had asked her. She felt guilty now.

Gathering up her things, and deciding her potions paper was as good as it was going to get, she headed out of the library, and back to the Gryffindor tower.

When she went through the portrait hole, the common room had a lot less people in it, than when she went to the library. She saw Harry, by himself, sitting on one of the couches.

"Where's Ron?" she asked, as she sat next to him.

"He's up in the dormitory; Dean wanted to see if he could beat him at a round wizard's chess."

"Harry," Hermione said, glad that Ron was not around, "I have a problem."

"What is it?"

"When I was up in the library, Viktor Krum asked me to the ball, and I said yes! I completely forgot about Ron!" She was talking very fast, and felt like she was describing a dream to Harry, "What should I do?"

"Wait, _Viktor Krum_ asked you to the ball? The quidditch player?"

"Yes. He came in the library, and asked me, but my point is, I forgot about Ron! Do you think he would really care if I canceled with him, though? I mean, I'd feel more comfortable canceling with a friend, rather than someone I've never talked to before tonight. He did after all, only ask me to go as friends . . . right?"

"To be fair, Hermione," Harry answered honestly, "he never actually said 'as friends.'"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat, but she ignored it, "Well, what do you suppose I do?"

Harry looked around, uneasily, then sighed, "Hermione, can I tell you something, if you promise not to tell Ron I told you?"

Hermione furrowed her brow, "I . . . suppose . . ."


	4. Chapter 4

After Harry explained to Hermione about Ron saying he was going to asked her to the ball, before Seamus had, and said something to Seamus to get him to call off going with her, she felt much worse about agreeing to go with Krum. Harry, of course, reminded her that she should feel bad.

"Just don't tell Ron Krum ever asked you, and tell Krum you can't go with him, before Ron finds out. I don't think Ron deserves to be cancelled on." he said.

"I know," Hermione agreed, "I don't think so, either."

"I still don't understand how you could've just forgotten Ron," Harry scolded her.

"I know, I know," She sighed, "I told you, I just got really . . . flustered around Viktor, and I was surprised that he was even talking to me, let alone asking me to the ball! I mean, if Fleur Delacour asked Ron to the ball, don't you think he would say yes, despite him already having asked me?"

"That's different," Harry argued, "She's part veela, and there's no chance of her _ever _asking him to the ball. _Ever._"

"Who's part veela?"

Harry and Hermione both looked up and saw, none other than, Ron himself, standing at the foot of the stairs.

He then raised his eyebrows, "Are you talking about Fleur Delacour? 'Cause I _knew _she was part veela!"

"Yeah," Harry answered quickly, "I found out she was. Guess you were right."

"See?" Ron said to Hermione, "She _is _part veela!"

Hermione was about to make some sort of retort, due to force of habbit, but thought about it and instead said, "Yeah, Ron, guess you _were _right."

Ron opened his mouth, a comback forming in his brain, but then closed it, processing what Hermione had said, "You're . . . not going to argue with me?"

Hermione just shrugged and said, "What's there to argue about? You were right, Fleur's part veela."

He kept a confused expression on his face for several moments, then he smirked, "Wow," he said, "maybe I should ask you to a ball every week . . ."

This made Harry chuckle, and Hermione blush and smile.

"So, who would Fleur never ask to the ball?"

"Oh, um, Seamus," Harry said.

"Oh? What were guys talking about?" he asked.

"Nothing." Hermione said autimatically.

Ron did not ask more questions, because he assumed they had been talking about Seamus canceling on Hermione, and figured that talking about it more, might upset her.

"So, was Dean able to beat you at chess?" Harry asked.

"Of course not," Ron said smugly, "_No one_ can beat me at chess."

"Well, at least you have that . . ." Harry teased.

"Oh, shut up . . ." Ron said, but otherwise laughed. Then he turned to Hermione, who had already buried her nose in a book, "You're still studying? Weren't you just in the library?"

Hermione's stomach turned, "Yeah . . . but this is a good book. Besides, I think I'm just going to go up to bed . . . good night." she closed her book, leaving it on the on the couch, and went upstairs.

When she was gone, Ron looked at the book. It was _Numerology and Grammatica_. "She thinks _that's_ a _good book_?" he said, skeptically.

"Well, that's Hermione for you," Harry said.

"I think I need to do something about my dress robes." Ron said suddenly.

"What about your dress robes?"

"Well you saw them, they're awful! I can't go in them. Do you think there's any way of . . . I dunno, transfiguring them or anything?"

"Maybe. Why don't you ask Hermione? She's the smartest person we know."

"Yeah," Ron agreed, "I think I will ask her about it."

The next morning, at breakfast, when Hermione got to the table, Harry asked her quietly, "So, what are planning on doing today?"

"Yes!" Hermione snapped, "I know what I have to do! You've told me several times now!"

"Okay, okay. It's just that I would know how Ron felt if he found out that you just _forgot _about him."

"I told you, I feel really bad about it."

"I know, but . . . you couldn't just say 'no?'"

"I'm going to tell him I can't go with him, alright? So you can drop it!"

Harry furrowed his brow, "Do you . . . want to go with Krum?"

Hermione paused for a moment, "Well . . . no, not if Ron asked me first. I just wasn't thinking straight. It's all going to be fine . . . as long as Ron doesn't find out . . ."

After they finished breakfast, Hermione was lucky ehough to see Krum, alone, walking out of the Great Hall. She would have probably lost her nerve if he was around his friends.

"Um, h-hello, uh, Viktor," she stuttered, approaching him.

"Ah, hello, Herm-own-ninny," he replied, smiling at her.

Hermione had to keep herself from correcting his pronunciation of her name. Instead, she decided to get straight to the point, "Um, I just, er, wanted to tell you that, I can't actually . . . go to the, er, ball with you. I'm sorry."

Viktor gave her a confused look, "I do not understand . . ? Are you making a joke . . ?"

"Uh, no. Before you asked, I had already agreed to go with someone else, I just . . . forgot about them. I'm sorry. I'm sure plenty of other girls would love to go with you."

Viktor still looked confused, and stared at her for moment. Eventually, though, he just sighed and said, "Alright," and walked away from her.

Hermione was a bit bemused as to why he didn't seem all that angry, but for the most part she was just relieved.

Then as she turned around, smiling to herself, she spotted Ron, walking toward the great hall.

"Were you just talking to _Viktor Krum_?" He asked in awe.

"Uh-er-yeah," Hermione answered, her face going pink, "He-uh-actually just asked me to the-uh-ball-just now. I-er-said no-of course . . ." she added.

"_Viktor Krum_ asked _you_ to the ball?" then realizing how that sounded, he said, "That didn't sound-I didn't mean-it's just-he's _Viktor Krum _-you know?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but said, "It's fine Ron. I was surprised too."

Suddenly, Ron asked, "Why didn't you say yes?"

Hermione opened her mouth, then furrowed her brow, "I-wha-you-why would I? I'm going with you, aren't I?"

Ron thought for a moment, "Yeah," he said, "But-I mean-it's _Viktor Krum_! _I_ would've said yes if he asked me . . ."

Hermione laughed at this idea, but then just shook her head and said, "Maybe he's a famous quidditch star to _you_, Ron, but to me he's just a normal person . . ."

Though, she wasn't exactly thinking that the night before when she became so flustered around him she forgot that she was already going to the ball with someone else-but Ron didn't need to know that . . .

* * *

so, if you are actually one of the people that was reading the original copy of this (which is like a million to 1 chance) then, yes, i did change the ending a bit

also, this story probably wont be update in a while, so ... i mean, you could always go read some of my other stories, but hey, no pressure ... ~_^

also, also i am not, and was not, working on this story, i was just going through my files and realized i did, in fact, finish this chapter, but never posted it for some reason. i'll probably go back to working on it in the summer, though, so dont think im just abandoning it for good...


	5. Chapter 5

short chapter, but still a chapter none the less. i felt i should post something, since i haven't in a while, and i figured i haven't done anything with this story in a long time.

* * *

Later on that day, after all their classes, Harry and Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room, while Hermione was, unsurprisingly, in the library.

Ron looked up from their game of chess, "By the way, did Hermione tell you that _Viktor Krum_ asked her to the ball? Now I can tell people that a girl ditched _Viktor Krum_ for me . . ." he chuckled, "I mean, even though it's just Hermione," he added quickly, "but I can still . . . you know, say that . . ."

Harry laughed, but said, "She told you about that?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't she?"

He looked nervously at Ron, "Well, I mean, you're not mad at her?"

Ron looked confused, but shrugged and said, "No . . . she can't exactly help who asks her to the ball."

"Well I meant because she said yes before she remembered-" Harry stopped, but not before it slipped out. It was too late before he realized that Hermione could've easily not told Ron the whole story . . . she was going to kill him. And after he had made such a big deal to not let Ron find out.

Ron was now starring at him, eyebrows furrowed, " . . . wait, what? She didn't say yes . . . I mean . . . she still is going with me . . ."

Harry looked around the room, hoping a good explanation would appear before him, "Well . . . she did say no . . . eventually."

He shook his head in confusion, "What are you on about?"

Harry sighed, "Alright . . . she-she did say yes at first . . . but then she told him she couldn't go with him this morning . . ."

"But . . . then . . . when did he asked her? It couldn't have been before I asked her! Why would she say yes to him, if . . . if . . . I asked her?" Ron was starting to look, not only angry, but embarassed.

Harry swallowed, "Well . . . she . . . forgot. But only for a second! And she went to tell him she can't go with him-"

Just then, Hermione came up to them, through the portrait hole, and said, "This is the hardest Ancient Runes assignment I've gotten all-"

She stopped when she noticed both Ron and Harry staring at her, "What?"

Suddenly, Ron stood up, his expression unreadable, "Well," he said, "I'm surprised you even came back from the library. I'm surprised you didn't just _forget_ about us. Wouldn't have been the first time for me." And with that he turned and walked up the stairs to the dormitories.

Hermione looked questioningly between the stairs and Harry, until it dawned on her, "Harry!"

"I'm sorry! It just . . . slipped out . . ."

"Sl-slipped out? How could it have? You were the one making a point that Ron shouldn't find out!" She didn't look as much angry, as she did dizzy and confused. She looked as if she were about to pass out.

"I know, Hermione, I'm sorry, But he told me that you told him Krum asked you . . . and I, well, didn't realize you didn't tell him the whole story . . ."

Hermione sat down, and gripped the armrest so tight, her knuckles turned white, "What am I supposed to say now?" she asked, "What am I supposed to tell him?"

Harry shifted guiltily, "Well, I could, er . . . uh, talk to him . . ." it was apparent that he didn't want to really get involved, but he couldn't help but feel like this was partially his fault.

Hermione gave him a look, "I'm not sure I want you to talk to him, since you might let slip something else. Or somehow convince him I only want to go with him to talk more about S.P.E.W. . . . he'll love that."

"Why _do_ you want to go with him, exactly?" he suddenly asked her.

She quickly became very red, "Well . . . because . . . he asked-I'm his friend-I'll have to go with _someone_-" it seemed she was trying to force three different explanations out of her mouth, at once, "Besides, it won't really matter, though, now that I'll probably have to find a new date-er, not that he was really a _date_, you know-"

Harry sighed, and rolled his eyes, "Well . . . good. Then you can go with me."

Hermione looked at him again, this time bemused.

He shrugged, "Well you and Ron aren't the only ones who need dates. I'm just saying . . . if Ron is thick enough to cancel on you over this-which he won't-then you might as well go with me."

Hermione momentarily forgot about her own problems, "You haven't asked anyone yet? Has anyone asked you?"

Harry turned red, and looked uncomfortable, "Er . . . yeah, a few people. But I don't really want to go with someone I barely know. Actually, I don't really want to go at all . . ."

"Why don't you ask Ginny?" Hermione suggested.

He rolled his eyes for the second time, "Yeah, that won't be awkward at all, since she never talks around me . . ."

She thought for a moment, "I don't think Parvati is going with anyone . . ."

"Brilliant," Harry muttered, rather unenthusiastically.

"Great, now that that's settled . . ." Hermione trailed off, looking at the stairs.

Harry sighed, "I'll talk to him if you want . . ." he only offered because it was his fault Ron found out.

"I don't know . . ." she said, looking unsure, "Maybe I should talk to him. You told him, but . . . well, I was the one who actually forgot him."

"Well go talk to him then . . ."

She looked nervously between the stairs and Harry, "Er . . . right now? don't you think I should wait a little while? Give him some time to cool off . . ?"

Harry gave her a look, "Hermione, you know Ron. It could take him three weeks to _cool off_. It'd probably be better to just go talk to him now, and get it over with."

Hermione had an extremely anxious look on her face for a few moments, before impatiently saying, "Oh alright!" and headed up toward the boys' dormitory.

When she was outside the door to Ron and Harry's room, she felt nervous. She tried to tell herself that she had no reason to feel nervous, all she had to do was apologize, and tell Ron that she did really want to go with him, especially more than Viktor.

She took a deep breath and knocked.

No one answered.

But he had to be in there. Where else would he have gone? The girls' dormitory? Highly unlikely, not to mention impossible.

"R-Ron?" she said through the door, "Can I _please_ come in?" She was afraid to just go in. For some reason, at this moment, it felt like it would be a bigger breach in his privacy than the other times she had come in this room without even knocking.

She had to bite the inside of her cheek, to keep herself from smirking, at the mad image that popped into her head, of her just walking in on him, and catching him writing in a diary.

Though this actually happening was about as unlikely as Ron being up in the girls' dormitories.

Finally, after about two minutes of no answer, Hermione puffed out her chest, and said in her most pompous voice, "Ronald Weasley, I insist that you acquiesce my request for entering this room . . . right this moment."

She could almost see him roll his eyes, as she heard him finally say, "Oh, what do you _want_! ?"

She slowly opened the door.

* * *

yes, harry is a bit stupider in this chapter than he normally would be, but i had to have Ron find out! now...what ever will hermione say to him to get him to forgive her...ooooh! tune in next time, for the adventures of Gingerboy and Brainygirl! ...do you like my Ron and Hermione superhero names? :B

...it is VERY late, and i am VERY tired, so...


	6. Chapter 6

When Hermione entered the room, Ron was determinedly flipping through a book on Quidditch, doing everything he could not to look up at her.

"Ron?" she said slowly, walking up to his bed.

His face behind the book was so bright red it nearly matched his hair.

"I'm sorry! I really am! But you said it yourself, _you_ would say yes if he asked you!"

"That was a joke." He replied shortly.

"Well I said no eventually! And can you really blame me? I mean, if-if _Fleur Delacour_ asked _you_, you'd forget me-"

"Well she's part veela, remember?" He said, finally looking up at her, "And-hang on-you were talking about _me_, weren't you? About how she would _never_ ask me to the ball . . ."

"Harry said that! Not me!" She said quickly.

Ron raised his eyebrows, "Yes, that makes me feel loads better." Then he looked back down at the book.

"Ron!" Hermione grabbed the book from his hands and tossed it to the bed across from his.

He gave her a look that made her grateful looks _couldn't_ kill, "Do you _mind?_ I was reading that-"

"What can I do to get you to forgive me! ?"

"Leave me alone." He said bluntly, looking around at his side tables for another book to ignore her for. It was one of the few times in his life that he wished he was actually a reader.

Hermione stared at him, her face slowly going redder and redder. Eventually she looked down and said, very quietly, "But . . . I _really _do want to go to the ball with you." Realizing that she sounded like a spoiled child, trying to get her parents to buy her some sweets, she added, "I . . . understand if . . . _you_ don't want to go with me still, but I just . . . want you to know that I never didn't want to go with you." She chanced a glance at Ron.

He was picking at a hole in his bed spread, trying to rip the loose thread, but kept just making the hole bigger by unravelling it. He was so determined to finally rip the thread, it took him a minute to process everything Hermione said. He still wanted to go to the ball with her. Badly. But he couldn't. Not now, not after she humiliated him.

"I can't go with you. You might as well tell Krum you can go with him after all." He still hadn't looked up from the bedspread. The knew tone he took on sounded so unlike him that it took Hermione by surprise. It was so dark.

She was about to accept this, and finally just leave him alone, but something stopped her, and had no control over herself as she said, in not quite a yell, "Why can't you understand that-despite how composed I usually am-I'm still just a plain, boring, ugly, annoying teenage girl, and when _any_ boy-_especially_ one that's almost a celebrity-actually pays _some_ attention to me, I _may_ be a little flustered! So I'm _sorry_, really sorry, but I'm not perfect! And I understand-I really do-that you don't want to go to the ball with me anymore, I just . . . want you to be able to forgive me."

This outburst caught Ron by surprise. Enough so, that he actually looked up at her. He wanted to tell her that she wasn't ugly or plain. And that she was only boring and annoying _sometimes_. He also wanted to tell her that he _did_ want to go to the ball with her, and point out the fact the he pays attention to her everyday, and lately it's been less about him being her friend. Instead he just looked back down at the spread, "Fine. I forgive you. But I'm still not going to the ball with you. You might as well go make plans with Krum."

Taking a deep breathe, Hermione nodded, realizing that the entire time, this was the best she could hope for. She turned and walked away, but paused near the door. "I just want you to know that . . . I'm not going to go . . . find Viktor or anything. I'm not going to go if I can't go with you."

Ron's head snapped up, "Don't be putting that on me! That's your choice, and you shoudn't be making me feel guilty for-"

"I'm not trying to make you feel anything! I just want you to know that . . . there's no one I'd rather go with than you." Then she ran out of the room before he could say anything about Seamus or Viktor. Viktor had been a mistake. And Seamus was just because she didn't think anyone else would ask her. Maybe she wouldn't have thought exactly that before now, but right in that moment she knew it was true. The idea of her at the ball with anyone but Ron-even Viktor Krum-now made her feel sick.

When she got back downstairs, Harry was looking throught one of his text books. She sat next to him.

"You two kiss and make up?" he asked without looking up from the book.

When she didn't answer, he finally did look up, "What's wrong?"

"We're . . . not going to the ball together." She said, trying hard not to sound as sad as she was about it.

"Oh." Harry said lamely. He was surprised. He had been sure that Ron would've wanted to go with her enough to see past all of this. But he didn't know what to say to comfort Hermione, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she said, shaking her head, "Probably for the better. Balls are pointless anyway. Just an excuse for people to dress in ridiculously expensive clothing and act superficially," she said it with the same tone that she recites passages in books with, "I'm tired. I think I'll just go up to bed now."

Harry watched as she walked to the girls dorm, looking like she was in a trance. He had no hope that things were going to be looking up anytime soon.


	7. Chapter 7

When Harry got up to the dormitories, Ron was already in his pajamas.

"What happened with Hermione?" he asked.

Ron shrugged, "Nothing."

"Then why don't you want to go to the ball with her anymore?"

Ron paused for a moment, staring determinedly at the wall behind Harry, "I . . . still _want_ to go with her . . . I just . . . _can't_. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh, yeah, shallow Harry would never understand your deep problems, because your life is _so_ complicated," Harry muttered bitterly.

"I didn't mean-"

"Someone at this school is trying to _kill_ me. I had to get past a _dragon_, and I still can't find a dance partener for the Yule Ball, and you think _you've _got problems! ?" Harry snapped, "The other night I dreamt that I never did find a partener, so McGonagall made me dance with Filch!"

"Er-I'm sorry . . ?"

"It doesn't matter," Harry said impatiently, "Just tell me why you apparently _can't _go to the ball with Hermione."

"Fine," Ron sighed, "It's just . . . I went through-not a lot, but still some-crap to . . . you know, get to go with her . . . and it's like it didn't even matter. I thought she _was_ one of those _nice_ girls that would go with the first decent bloke to ask her. But she's not. She's just like every other bloody girl-"

"But she cancelled on Krum. To go with you. You know not every bloody girl would do that."

Ron shook his, "Probably because she feels _bad _for me. She probably thinks she has to go with me in order to be a good friend . . ." he said bitterly.

There was something weird about what Ron was saying, "Well . . . even if she is just being a good friend . . . isn't that what you want from her?"

Ron looked up at Harry, "Er-what?"

"Well," Harry said simply, "Hermione is your friend, right? And the best you can get from a friend _is _to be a good friend . . . so, what's your problem?"

Ron blinked, and started to think about it. What _had_ he expected from Hermione other than to be a good friend? She didn't owe him anything. He stared at his bed spread, trying to come up with an answer for Harry, "I . . . she . . . we . . ."

Harry held back from laughing at the expression on Ron's face. To spare him from answering, Harry said, "Well . . . you think about that. I'm going to bed."

When all the lamps were turned out, Ron lied awake, unable to to stop thinking about what Harry had said. What did he think would happen if he asked Hermione to the ball, other than them sitting next to each other during dinner, wearing dress robes?

Then he thought about something that hadn't really occured to him since the ball was first mentioned. She would probably expect him to dance with her. His face went red just _imagining _trying to dance with her. Having her watch him try to dance. Having to _slow_ dance with her.

His hands on her waist, her hands on his shoulders. Their bodies close enough to hold a thick text book between them. These thoughts were hard to think, but he couldn't stop.

Even with the images in his head, though, he was still able to eventually fall asleep.

Next thing he knew, it was the night of the Yule Ball. Everyone in the common room was all dressed up except for himself.

Eventually they all left, and Ron watched Harry nervously escort Mrs. Norris down to the Great Hall. Even she was wearing nice dress robes.

Suddenly Viktor Krum stormed into the common room.

"YOU! WEASLEY! YOU STOLE MY GIRL! WE WERE GOING TO GO THE YULE BALL AND GET MARRIED AND HAVE RICH AND FAMOUS CHILDREN!" Krum was yelling at him.

Ron told Krum that he wasn't going with Hermione anymore, and that he really wanted his autograph, but Krum ran up to the girls dormitory before he could hear Ron's request.

In the next second Krum was coming downstairs, dragging Hermione by the arm with him.

"He said you wanted to go to the ball with me!" Krum was saying to her, as she struggled to be free.

"No he didn't!" Hermione yelled. Then she spotted Ron in the common room, "He wouldn't want me to be happy."

"Well, which is it! ?" Krum yelled, turning to Ron, "Is she going with you or me! ?"

Suddenly Ron was getting very angry, "She wanted to go with me first!" He couldn't help but yell.

"What other option did she have?" Krum said, "You were her last resort. Clearly I was the better option when I came along."

"Then why did she cancel on you and not me?"

"It was only because she's your friend, so she likes you more than me," Krum said, as if he were insulting Ron.

"Well if she likes me more than you, then she should go with me!" Ron argued back. But it felt useless. He knew what was coming.

"Good girls always pick their _friends_ over _boys._" Krum said matter-of-factly before letting go of Hermione's arm, and walking promptly out of the common room.

At this point, the entire common room seemed to fall apart, and the next thing Ron knew, he was laying in his bed, and it was 5 in the morning.

It had been an oddly vivid dream, and every time he thought about it, it made his stomach hurt. He realized then that he had expected more from Hermione than to just be his friend, and he was _mad_ at her for being his friend. _Just_ his friend.

And he should go to the ball with her, because that was all they were. _Friends._

_But what if I don't want to be friends with her?_

He thought about it. He imagined not being her friend. Not sitting with her in the common room after classes, not spending time with her on Hogsmeade trips, not inviting her to the Quidditch World Cup over the summer-even if she didn't have a clue what was going on. He probably wouldn't care if they had never become friends in the first place, but now . . .

He didn't like her being a good friend. He would hate not being her friend anymore.

In the farthest, darkest corner of his mind lived the solution, but he smothered that thought as soon as it crept to the front of his brain. He was convinced that this thought was just his teenage hormones combined with his want for a girlfriend. The same way he sometimes thought about asking out Eloise Midgeon just because he knew she would say yes.

Ron decided then that he would tell Hermione that he wanted to go to the ball with her, and tell her that he was sorry or whatever, and he would never think about this whole friend thing again. It all just gave him a stomachache anyway.


End file.
